UCLA Extension Online Alcohol & Drug Abuse Counseling Certificate
UCLA Extension offers an alcohol and drug abuse counseling certificate for students who want to become substance use disorder counselors or add specialized training to an existing career. The program prepares students to help clients identify addiction-related beliefs and behaviors and develop the motivation to change them.
The certificate includes 13 required courses and takes about one and a half years, or six quarters, when students begin in the fall. Required courses are delivered remotely, while students complete the internship in person. Students receive more than 343 hours of education and complete 255 hours of supervised fieldwork practicum.
Important courses include pharmacological aspects of alcohol and other drugs; introduction to counseling and the 12 core functions; co-occurring disorders for addiction professionals; and law and ethics for addiction professionals. Students also complete a two-quarter supervised fieldwork practicum, which combines classroom learning with direct agency internship experience.
Applicants must apply for certificate candidacy before enrolling in required courses. They must attend the free information session and new student orientation, which is offered in the summer quarter, and complete the study skills course. Students who have earned an associate degree or higher may waive the study skills requirement by submitting unofficial transcripts. Once accepted, applicants pay a nonrefundable candidacy fee before enrolling in the program.
UCLA Extension is headquartered in Westwood, Los Angeles, on the campus of the University of California, Los Angeles. UCLA Extension is accredited through UCLA by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC). The alcohol and drug abuse counseling certificate is approved by the California Consortium of Addiction Programs and Professionals Education Institute. Graduates meet the educational requirements to sit for the CCAPP certification exam.
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Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counseling
Los Angeles, California
Program Essentials
Post-Bachelor's Certificate
Counseling: Substance Abuse & Addiction
Yes
0 – No required campus visits
41.5
Fall
Complete in as few as 1.5 years
Program Admissions
No GRE required
Not specified
AR, DC, GA, LA, ND, PR
Program Tuition
41.5
$226.00
$9,379.00
$226.00
$9,379.00
Tuition is calculated based on credits, at the published tuition rate. Rates may change, so please check here for the latest tuition information. For programs with variable tuition rates, we use the rates for part-time students. “Resident” and “non-resident” refer to the student’s school-recognized state residency status. Tuition number represents the cost of tuition for the entire program, not per semester or year. Estimated total tuition does not include additional fees.
Farheen Gani
WriterFarheen Gani has researched degree programs and salaries in counseling since 2020. She has written about topics such as genetic counselor salaries and family and human development bachelor’s degrees. She writes about healthcare, technology, education, and marketing. Her work has appeared on websites such as Tech in Asia and Foundr, as well as top SaaS blogs such as Zapier and InVision. You can connect with her on LinkedIn.